Let it Flow
CLIMA Fund’s Watersheds Initiative
Water is life. As the climate crisis reshapes the water systems worldwide, watersheds are under growing pressure from extraction, deforestation, and conflict.
Grassroots movements are restoring and defending waterways across the planet from source to sea. Yet, this work remains chronically underfunded and under-recognized within philanthropy. The CLIMA Fund is resourcing these movement ecosystems through the Let It Flow Initiative and tracking the impact of coordinated grassroots action on watershed health over the next five and ten years.
Why Watersheds?
Healthy watersheds act as carbon sinks, sustain biodiversity, protect water quality, and support resilient livelihoods. Wetlands alone store an estimated 44.6 million metric tons of carbon annually. Every $1 invested in watershed restoration yields an estimated $4 in benefits, including flood mitigation, water filtration, and improved agricultural productivity.
The CLIMA Fund’s members have 130+ years of collective experience resourcing grassroots movements. Across geographies and contexts, we have consistently seen communities restore degraded waterways, regenerate ecosystems, and successfully resist destructive extractive projects. Yet, despite their effectiveness, these efforts remain largely invisible to philanthropy.
Pilot Geographies
We are launching the initiative in three globally significant watersheds where grassroots climate justice movements are already leading ambitious restoration efforts. By investing in movement ecosystems in these regions, we aim to understand how our collaborative and complementary grantmaking approach can accelerate grassroots-led watershed restoration and generate lessons for replication elsewhere.
The Cerrado (Latin America)
The Cerrado is one of the world’s most important yet underfunded ecosystems for global climate stability and water security. Since 2015, Campanha Nacional em Defesa do Cerrado / National Campaign in Defense of the Cerrado has mobilized communities to protect and restore this vital biome and watershed system.
The Zambezi (Africa)
The Zambezi, Africa’s fourth-largest river system, supports more than 30 million people across eight countries. It is one of the most biodiverse and dammed rivers on the continent, and faces mounting threats from droughts, pollution, and habitat destruction. Our anchor partner, JA!, recently secured a landmark legal victory protecting the Zambezi from another major development project, while strengthening transnational organizing for dam resistance and restoration efforts.
The Salween (Asia)
The Salween is one of the last free-flowing rivers in Southeast Asia and supports the livelihoods of over 10 million people. Our anchor partner, KESAN, has helped restore 1.4M acres and establish the Salween River Peace Park. The park is a 2,800-square-kilometer Indigenous-led conservation area representing one of the world’s largest community-governed riverine ecosystems.
If you are interested in discussing investment in this initiative, please contact community@climasolutions.org.
